Week ending October 24th

We ended last week with the Family Learning Festival on Saturday. It was a hugely enjoyable event and very well attended by families within the Chesterton community. We were fortunate to have the mayor attending and the fire brigade, along with a large variety of stalls organised by Chesterton staff and students to support family learning. Please look on our Facebook site for photos.

Many students have been competing in rugby, football and hockey tournaments this term. An early entry for coach of the year is Mr Lee – he’s already taken his Year 8 girls and Year 9 girls’ football teams through the first round of the national football cup; both teams winning against schools from Bedfordshire. No doubt Mr Kelly will have something to say about this when his badminton teams make their debut after half term!

The rugby teams have played very well so far this year. In the four district tournaments played against 16 local schools, our teams have finished third, sixth, third and this week the Year 8 team won their tournament! More importantly, a number of students have joined Shelford or Cambridge rugby club as a result of playing rugby at school.

We were pleased this week to welcome visitors from the Parkside Federation who had come to look at our Ipad provision. As always we are very open to sharing our innovative approaches locally and nationally, as we recognise how firmly embedded our approach to technology is across the school. As always tours around the school are a great way to demonstrate the exciting teaching and learning which is happening and the IT team were pleased to take our visitors around the site. I know on my own lesson visits I am always delighted with what I see.

We’d like to congratulate the students from all year groups who performed in the inaugural Teatime Concert this week. It was a lovely event with parents enjoying tea and biscuits whilst listening to music performed by our students.

Last Friday, Y11 Drama students went on a road trip to London in order to watch a West End performance of “The Woman In Black”. A good time was had by all and our students embodied the Chesterton ethos with their polite nature in Covent Garden and professional approach as a theatre audience member.

Drama will also be launching the ‘Chesterton Stripes’ award next half term. Students will be invited to submit an application to receive the award. This aims to recognise students who display a commitment to Drama in school and in their wider life. More details will be revealed after half term so watch this space!

Students in both KS3 Drama clubs are busy preparing for an evening showcase of their superb work which will take place before Christmas; again look out for details!

Some Chesterton music students chose to attend a workshop with English National Opera in School on Tuesday evening this week and then attended the subsequent performance at West Road Concert Hall. This included behind the scenes opportunities for the students.

Artworks by Chesterton students are currently on display at the museum of Cambridge. The Thresholds project, in collaboration with artist Zoe Chamberlain, saw students make dioramas from photos of their home and bedrooms. The dioramas are now on display at the museum amongst the permanent collection. Mrs Murray Williams, Head of Art, attended the recent opening of the exhibition and was delighted to see that all the work from Chesterton students was selected for inclusion in the exhibition. They will be on display until 23rd November.

It was the first session of the newly launched science club this week, with thirty students attending and being incredibly enthused by our visiting speakers – do look out for photos on our Facebook page.

A reminder for Y11 parents that we are holding our very important guide to revision evening on Nov 4th. It starts at 5.30pm and still allows for time to attend any other post-16 events which are being held in the city.

There is an opportunity for parents to come in and receive technical support if you or your children have any problems or questions relating to College services such as Parentmail, Edmodo, iPad use. Members of the IT team will be based in the library on Wednesday 29th 10am – 2pm and Thursday 30th 3pm-7pm.

It just remains for me to wish everyone a very Happy Diwali 2014 and a prosperous New Year; also a happy and relaxing half-term.